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Sundara Kānda: Hanuman's Odyssey

Whereas Mahabharata's Bhagvad-Gita is taken as a philosophical guide, Ramayana's Sundara Kãnda is sought for spiritual solace; many believe that reading it or hearing it recited would remove all hurdles and usher in good tidings! Miracles apart, it's in the nature of this great epic to inculcate fortitude and generate hope in man for it’s a depiction of how Hanuman goes about his errand against all odds. Besides, it portrays how Seetha, on the verge of self-immolation, overcomes despair to see life in a new light? With rhythm of its verse and the flow of the narrative this sloka to sloka transcreation of the canto beautiful of Valmiki's adi kavya - the foremost poetical composition in the world, Hanuman's Odyssey that paves the way for Rama to rescue his kidnapped wife is bound to charm the readers and listeners alike. Interestingly, as the following verse illustrates, this epic was the forerunner of the magic realism of our times – “Gripped she then him by shadow / Cast which Hanuman coast to coast, Recalled he in dismay then / What Sugreev said at outset / That one fiend had aptitude / To grip its prey by mere shadow.” On a personal note, my paternal grandfather, Bulusu Thimmaiah-garu, like many in his time, was a life-long practitioner of Sundara Kãnda parayana (the epic’s daily recital in part or full), whose spirituality could have providentially guided me in this, rather an effortless, trans-creative endeavour.

BS_Murthy · Fantasy
Not enough ratings
70 Chs

Harem at Night

In the midst of Pushpak lay

The Palace Royal of Ravan.

Built it was with gems all rare

Plinth it had of two score miles.

Went in Hanuman in the hope

Therein he would find Seetha.

Having got in he sauntered

In those royal chambers there.

With their knives drawn to the hilt

Found he guards there door to door.

Saw he Ravan's wives in scores

Maidens that he grabbed by force.

Found he ponds of ocean size

Lived where crocodiles with white whales.

Amidst the riches it sported

God like Ravan lived in there.

With sons 'n siblings there Ravan

Bettered thus lifestyle of all gods.

Entered harem Ravan's Hanuman

Pushpak's that was star attraction.

Custom built was that Pushpak

By God's own architect for Brahma.

In the times of yore Kuber

Sought and got it from Brahma,

Wanting it to serve his needs

Grabbed it Ravan waging war.

Spoils of war as it made

Pictured bullfights on its walls.

Stretched its ceiling to high skies

Cellars its touched depths of earth.

Pushpak's glitter makes Lanka

Seem as daytime during nights.

Emeralds it had for doorknobs

Windowpanes were crystal class.

Pearls it had all paved for floor

Gave that look of white carpet.

Woodwork of its red sandals

Made the place all smell so sweet.

Shaped so well were secret vaults

Deceive they would the best of spies.

Entered Hanuman its pantry

Feed which could a million mouths.

Aroma of all recipes there

Reached him with a come-hither tag.

Entered he then that portion

Lived where Ravan as the god.

Stairs it had of gems inlaid

Handles of them ivory made.

Pillars it had gold ingots

Glowed they all like candlelights.

None was taken for granted

Flawless was the way it shaped.

With woven Atlas on them bright

Laid were carpets continent size.

Birds on heat were perched on trees

Cooed they in their scores well pecked.

Smoke that scented sticks emitted

Got spread throughout Ravan's land.

Kept its aura gloom at bay

It's where Ravan set his shop.

At home Hanuman felt therein

Entered though he enemy's place.

Felt he was in heaven itself

Fit for gods of every faith.

Finding no scent of Seetha

Seemed he gambler who lost all.

With his person 'n harem

No less Ravan added then

Lustre to that bright Pushpak.

Maidens there were in thousands

Dressed they like for fashion show.

Drunk they were all to the dregs

Bent their eyelids all downward.

Slept one by one all of them

Seemed the place as swan filled pond.

Postures theirs were well composed

Breath their smelled as flowers at dawn.

Petals like lotus their faces

Seemed in sleep all lotus buds.

Zoomed all drunken bees in scores

As would go round flowers in bloom.

Celibate as he wished they were

Flowers all real and not damsels.

Angel like dames made Ravan's

Harem seem like star filled sky.

Ravan in their midst then looked

Like the blooming moon in skies.

Felt of Ravan's lovers Hanuman

Were like meteors made there home.

Skins theirs were like cloudless skies

Pure were demeanours of those dames.

Orgasms multiple they had all

Askance went things on them all.

In their coitus furious dots

Vermilion theirs smudged foreheads.

Passion with such they coited

Crushed were pearls of chains they wore.

Breath of theirs as they made love

Withered all flowers of their garlands.

Chains of jewels that they wore

Made their boobs seem sun 'n moon.

Sank as pearls in their valleys

Seemed they swans that lay in rest.

Looked like canal banks their thighs

Waists theirs seemed so tiny streams.

Smiled in slumber some sweetly

Dreamt as though of lay they had.

Embrace in theirs of Ravan

Breasts of theirs as chest his crushed

Made then imprints of their chains

Seemed that matching pairs on them.

Covered as pallus their faces

Pairs of bellows turned their breaths.

As was standards of Ravan

Bright were hues of their sarees.

Turned as pallus to bellows

Vibed like pendulums their ear-rings.

Smelled well as the breath of theirs

Got that better with wine they had.

Sexy co-wives of Ravan

Kissed in ardour one another.

In their craving for Ravan

Made they lesbian love in turns.

Some of them in their slumber

Folded their hands for pillows.

Made some thighs of their co-wives

Headrests for their wondrous heads.

Used some leggies flat bellies

Of co-wives to spread their legs.

Entwined slept as Ravan's dames

Seemed they strings of white roses,

Hair theirs seemed to cover them all

Bees as would all flowers in bloom.

Harem Ravan's felt Hanuman

Creeper like grove in full spring.

Body odours of those dames

Lent the air all with then scents.

With such abandon slept they all

Moved their sarees up their thighs.

That Ravan was fast asleep

Gods dared eye his women in sleep.

Most of them in Ravan's hold

Came coveting him on their own.

Beauty as theirs made him weak

Dragged he some of them to bed.

Fetched him some the hearsay true

His great valour spread world over.

Found none of them then Hanuman

Found might wanting to share throne.

Seeing them all so fulfilled

Wished he Ram 'n Seetha well.

That the learned Ravan snared

Seetha who was chaste to Rama

Saddened Hanuman no end then.